The Voices Among the Trees Multi-cache

This is cache number six in our Classics series.

The others in this series can be found at the following links:

"If One Only Knew the Right Way!"

"Merely This and Nothing More...."

"Baker Street Memoir"

"I'll Seek a Readier Path!"

"The End"

Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17__ and go back to the time when my father kept the Admiral Benbow inn and the brown old seaman with the sabre cut first took up his lodging under our roof.

I remember him as if it were yesterday, as he came plodding to the inn door, his Sea-Chest following behind him in a hand- barrow -- a tall, strong, heavy, nut-brown man, his tarry pigtail falling over the shoulder of his soiled blue coat, his hands ragged and scarred, with black, broken nails, and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid white. I remember him looking round the cover and whistling to himself as he did so, and then breaking out in that old sea-song that he sang so often afterwards:

"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest --
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"

It has been many years since the old seaman had left us. Along with him went the sea-chest with which he had first arrived. It has been rumoured that the chest held a very valuable treasure. Many seafaring characters have come calling to the Admiral Benbow looking for the seaman and his chest. Yet, I still believe that to this day, the treasure has still not been recovered.

Legend has it that the location of the sea-chest was discovered by a group of notorious individuals who perished in their attempts to recover the treasure. The ghosts of these men known as Long John Silver, Black Dog, and Captain Flint continue the search in the afterlife.

Many modern day expeditions have been formed to search for and retrieve the cache. Many reports from these expeditions allude to a spiritual presence guarding the location of the cache and that many party members remember hearing Voices Among the Trees that were possibly attempting to give them clues to the cache's location. It has been noted that the ghost of Long John Silver haunts the area at the above listed coordinates. Once you get to this area, his ghost will give you the necessary clues to continue your quest. You will also obtain clues from the ghosts of Black Dog and Captain Flint as well. Each spirit will guide you to the next location and provide you with a clue that you will need to access the final cache. Remember these clues. Without them, you will not be able to retrieve the treasure.

This cache hunt is a four stage multicache.

As stated, the coordinates listed on the cache page will lead you to the ghost of Long John Silver. Once there, you will be provided with the location of the next ghost as well as a "clue" that you will need to access the contents of the final cache.

The ghosts of Black Dog and Captain Flint will also provide you with an additional "clue."

Remember these "clues" as you will not be able to access the contents of the final cache without them. You'll know what to do with them when you reach the final cache.

The first three stages are contained in cigar tubes approximately 6" in length, painted black, and marked with the name of the cache. They are hidden very well. Please hide them back exactly as you found them as to not be detected.

The final stage is a well-stocked ammo can also painted black with a green geocache sticker.

GPSr reception is spotty at all stages, especially the final two. Allowing your GPSr to settle for a few minutes will aid you greatly in finding all four stages.

You will be able to walk between the first two stages and the last two stages. You will not, however, be able to walk between stages two and three.

Total walking distance for this cache hunt is approximately 2.5 miles. All stages are easily accessible if your path is chosen wisely. However, please excercise extra care if caching after periods of rain. Also, pay special attention to the path you follow to reach the final cache. It is extremely easy to lose the trail on the way back out of the cache site.

Update as of January 23, 2005

I am adjusting the terrain rating on this cache up to a 3.5 due to the stages of this cache being located along the Saluda and Broad Rivers and the unpredictability of the water levels in these areas.

Please check the following link prior to attempting this cache:

USGS Real Time Water Data for Saluda River near Columbia, SC

Do not attempt Stage 3 of this cache if the river flow rate is above 4000 cubic feet per second. Any reading higher than this will make Stage 3 inaccessible. There is a depth marker post near the third stage. Do not attempt this stage if the water level is reading in the yellow or higher. You will not be able to make it to Stage 3 if this is the case and unecessary risks are not needed. Please keep your own personal safety, as well as the safety of your party, in mind at all times. High water levels may also affect the accessibility of the first two stages as well. In almost all instances, however, all four stages of this cache are easily accessible by paths on dry land.